Banksy mural in Venice, created as part of the Biennale, will be restored and made safe thanks to financing offered by Banca Ifis, associated with the Agnelli family.
The announcement was made by the undersecretary for Culture, Vittorio Sgarbi, during a press conference where details about the famous British artist's street art work were presented.
This mural, titled 'The Migrant Child,' was created by Banksy in May 2019 on a wall located at the water's edge near Campo San Pantalon, in Venice's Dorsoduro Sestiere.
The presentation of the restoration of Bansky's Mural in Venice
During the presentation, an interesting discussion emerged regarding contemporary art and its placement in public spaces.
The question arises as to whether it is appropriate to intervene in unauthorizedly made artwork. Should they be removed and moved to a museum or left in the place where they were created?
According to Undersecretary Sgarbi, it is crucial to preserve what can be saved by promptly intervening to restore murals that have significant meaning to the public.
Even the Palazzo's owner, represented by lawyer Jacopo Molina, had called for protection and restoration just a month after the work was created, with the hope that this action by the Ministry could serve as a positive model for other similar works.
The statements
This work is one of only two works by Banksy in Italy. In fact, the restoration is desired by many, but also by Vittorio Sgarmi, who comments:
"The mural, which depicts a migrant child, was deteriorating due to humidity."
He continues:
" The fragility of the work was pointed out to me by Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, and Luca Zaia, the president of the Veneto Region. But since the work is less than 70 years old and the author is living, the Superintendence could not act.
I immediately took action and obtained the availability of the Ifis banking foundation, which will cover the cost of restoring the work and the facade of the building.
We are not interested in having consent for the restoration, since, among other things, the mural was made illegally."
The undersecretary ends the speech this way:
"I therefore take responsibility for the intervention having the delegation on contemporary art, and it is my task to protect it."
In contrast, President Ernesto Fürstenberg Fassio commented,
"The bank I represent is based in Venice, and Bansky's work is public, everyone's; that's why the intervention to preserve and restore the mural and the facade that houses it becomes even more important; we have a responsibility, in collaborating with public and private institutions, to preserve art and culture in Venice."